Utilising GIS for studying urban entropy, population dynamics, and ventilation disparity: A case study of changing land use, land cover, and socially vulnerable hotspots in Hyderabad, India

Citywide ventilation studies are challenging because they involve complicated interactions between various variables, including anthropogenic variables, housing conditions, and socio-economic considerations. The present paper aims to clarify the complex interactions between these three vital variables and the restricted ventilation zones. The ventilation patterns from 1990 to 2020 are meticulously examined in the first half of this research. This study observed the expansion of built-up areas, which increased from 13.7% in 1990 to 51.8% in 2020. The remainder of the paper explores population dynamics in locations with poor ventilation. In severely ventilated areas, the population increased from 10.7% in 1990 to 16.6% in 2020. The percentage of severely ventilated areas increased from 0.7% in 1990 to 31.6% in 2020, highlighting the urgent need to address ventilation inequities in urban planning. The research uses Spearman correlation analysis, which shows that industrial areas have a substantial positive association with ventilation disparities among anthropogenic factors, indicating the effect of industrial zones on decreased ventilation. The absence of toilets is a powerful and substantial housing variable contributing to poor ventilation. Additionally, the existence of the Total Scheduled Caste population within the socio-economic variables exhibits a strong and significant association, indicating that social issues are intricately linked to ventilation disparities. This research provides critical insights that can inform urban planning and policy decisions to improve ventilation and living conditions in densely populated cities. • The study explores the population dynamics in locations with poor ventilation. • The severely ventilated areas increased from 0.7% in 1990 to 31.6% in 2020. • Impact of industrial zones on decreased ventilation is highlighted. • Critical insights highlighted to improve ventilation and living conditions in densely populated city.